Asia Bibi blasphemy case: Phone services blocked across Pakistan

Blasphemy case: Pakistan army spokesperson urges protesters to let the legal process take its course

Protesters rally to condemn a Supreme Court decision that acquitted Asia Bibi, who spent eight years on death row accused of blasphemy, in Karachi, Pakistan, Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018.

Update: Reports began coming in at around 4.30pm UAE time that the phone services were being resumed in some cities. Tweeps in various cities around Pakistan were posting updates as and when the phone services were back on in their respective provinces.

Earlier report: Phone services blocked across Pakistan

Dubai: Phone services, educational institutes and roads were shut down in most parts of Pakistan on Friday as protests continued in the country against the Supreme Court order acquitting Asia Bibi in a blasphemy case.

Even as a review petition was filed by a protester following the Supreme Court verdict, protesters continued to block roads.

The country’s Information and Broadcasting Minister, Fawad Chaudhury, tweeted about the mobile phone services closure on November 1.

According to Pakistan’s news channel Samaa TV schools were also shut down in Islamabad, Karachi, Punjab and Balochistan, with the exams that were scheduled today postponed.

The spokesperson for the Pakistan Armed Forces, Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor, commented on the ongoing crisis today, and #DGISPR soon became the top trend on Twitter. Social media users shared his message urging people to let the legal process take its course.

“This is a legal process, a review petition has been filed and the Supreme Court will give a date for its hearing in a few days. As far as this case is concerned, it is a legal process. My personal request to all the religious organisations is that let the legal process carry on and see what the courts decide on the case.”

He added that it was unfortunate that the army was dragged into every matter, while it was focussed on winning the war against terrorism in the country.

As Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in China on a five-day visit, tweeps urged the nation to focus on the progress the country could be making.

Thundering clouds hovering over Islamabad & north of Punjab bringing rain are a divine message to religious protestors to end their sit-ins and go home. Time to heal a tired nation, let students take their exams, let children go to schools, let media focus on PM’s China trip— Moeed Pirzada (@MoeedNj) November 1, 2018